


Dark Trickery

by ChaosAndMaddness



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Don't Judge Me, F/F, F/M, Hella gay Character - Freeform, My First AO3 Post, My First Work in This Fandom, Not Beta Read, You'll love her, send help, they're younger, trust me - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-06-27 08:11:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19786834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaosAndMaddness/pseuds/ChaosAndMaddness
Summary: Vara lived a caged life, unable to set foot outside without constant supervision, and she just wanted to be free. When she first developed her powers at the age of 10, she knew she needed away from the controlling grasp of her mother. 8 years later after careful planning, she ran away from home and didn't look back. Vara made a silent vow that night, to never use her magic as a personal gain, for herself or for the sake of another person. All she wanted was to live her life the way she wanted, but nothing is ever as easy as it seems...**CURRENTLY ON HOLD**





	1. Start from the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is set multiple years before Lucy even thinks about running away from home. I've been reading a ton of fanfic lately and have been dying to make one of my own. Usually, I read stories instead of writing them so this is going to be a learning experience for me. Feel free to tell me what I did wrong or how I should improve
> 
> A good part of this chapter is just setting up the base of the story, and a bit of terrible dialogue

_A cloaked figured into the guild hall with urgency. They stopped only to talk to two members briefly and giving each of them a small trinket before quickly making their way to the master’s office. They could no longer stay in a guild who’s master wanted them to do something that they swore to never do. Pausing for only a second, the figured entered the office without knocking._

_“Master, I’m leaving the guild. I am not going to use my magic to, physically or mentally, harm someone who does not deserve it.” They spoke with conviction, leaving no room for argument._

_“My child, I’m afraid that I cannot allow that. Your magic is a crucial part of my plans, I simply can’t afford for you to leave, so you will be staying until I say otherwise.” The guild master stated, oozing with arrogance, believing that he had won._

_The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before the figure smiled and began laughing. “You think that you can force me to stay, you? I wasn’t asking to leave, I was telling you that I am. I can remove my own mark thank you very much. I just came here today to tell you that I was leaving and that you best be careful how you tread for the next few months, I’ll be watching.” With nothing else to say, the figure walked out of the office, down the stairs and disappeared out the door._

~

Taking one last look around her room, she climbed out of her window and off into the night. For the first time in her life, Vara made a decision for herself, she wanted to be free. All her life she’d been kept trapped in the mansion she was supposed to call home. Never once was she allowed to let her magic run free, instead, she had to keep it hidden away from her mother in fear of being forced to use it ways she never wanted to use it. 

Making her way to the train station without being seen, Vara silently boarded a train, not caring where it was going as long as it was far away from her mother and that house. Finding an empty compartment, she sat down and thought about what caused her to make this decision.

All her life she was told that as she was apart of higher society, and therefore she must live and act the part. Once she turned four, her mother took it upon herself to make sure that she was brought up a “proper young lady”, as her mother always said. She was forced to learn so many languages that even now if she got stressed out, Vara will mix her languages together. Along with the languages, she was forced to do beauty pageants, take gymnastics, archery, learn how to play the piano, and how to run the family business. 

Anytime she did something that displeased her mother, she’d look at Vara and tell her, “Varalica, we are a family of social elites. We are expected to be nothing less than perfect. Our family name means two things. One, as a Devine you are placed above everyone else around you. Two, being in the Devine family means you, yourself, are divine.” _Varalica_ , that was the name her mother gave her. Her mother, the woman that always spoke to her with either disappointment or disinterest, never once giving her a compliment.

Never once in her life did Vara feel like she belonged in her family. She wanted to explore the world, meet fellow mages, join a guild, have a life, just _something_ other than the dreary old mansion that was her home for the first 18 years of her life. When she started developing magic at 10, Vara knew she needed to leave, but she had to wait until the best time. 

Now being on a train to who knows where Vara laid her head against the window and tried to get as much rest as she could before the next town.

~

“NOW ENTERING OAK TOWN. PLEASE EXIT THE TRAIN. NEXT STATION: MAGNOLIA.” 

Vara was rudely awoken by the overhead speakers announcing the station. Gathering what little belongings she had, Vara quickly pulled her gloves on and exited the train. Stepping onto the platform, Vara was immediately hit with how lively a town could be. Vendors and shops were set up along the streets selling anything from food to enchanted items. Being mindful not to touch anyone's skin, Vara slowly made her way through the town, experiencing things for the first time in her life. 

One of the shops she stopped in instantly caught her attention. It was a magic shop that held much more than it showed. To say the least, Vara was very intrigued by the old lady sitting behind the counter.

“Excuse me ma’am but may I ask what kind of items you carry?” She inquired, “I just got into town and I’m looking for something that’ll suit me.”

The old shopkeeper chuckled, “Of course dear, there isn’t much here but I do have some silver Celestial Spirit keys if you're looking for a companion, or if you're looking for a weapon a have a variety of enchanted whips, bow and arrows, and even a few decks of magic cards. What kind of magic do you use? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Distracted by the different weapons, Vara snapped her head around to look at the shopkeeper. “Oh, um, well…..ya see,” she stuttered, taking another look at the old lady, Vara noticed that she was covered head to toe in clothes as if she didn’t want to risk touching people. “What kind of magic do you use? I can’t help but notice that you’re wearing just as many clothes as me.”

The shopkeeper's eyes widen before she gave another chuckle. “Oh! How right you are my dear, I use the same kind of magic as you do. Though I don’t know what magic you’ve picked up along the way here.”

Vara looked at the old lady skeptically before realizing she told the truth. “Honestly I haven’t picked up any magic on the way here, I’ve been kept in a house majority of my life so I only have my mothers magic at the moment…” she drifted off for a moment before remembering the other kind of magic she had. “Well, there is another magic I possess but I’d rather not discuss it. I’ll take the bow with the quiver of infinite arrows and one of the silver keys, preferably one that can be a companion.”

Knowing that she was finished talking about her magic, the shopkeeper nodded her head before getting the items Vara requested. After paying the total of 9,000 jewels, Vara left the shop. But before she fully exited the shop, the shopkeeper called out to Vara. 

“I’d be mindful of who you trust. Our magic, in the wrong hands, can be dangerous. Stick to your morals, trust your gut.” And with that, Vara exited the shop. 

For the rest of the day Vara explored the town, she learned that Oak Town was home to a magic guild by the name Phantom Lord. Even with that kind of name, she still wanted to check it out and see if it was worth joining. 

Finding a cheap enough inn, Vara got a room for herself and made plans to visit Phantom Lord in the morning. Laying down on the bed that wasn’t as nearly as comfortable as her old one, she instantly fell asleep, finally feeling at peace.

~

Waking up feeling more energized than she ever had before Vara started her day early enough to find a quaint bakery nearby while on a morning run. While she may have been kept in a mansion for the majority of her life, that didn’t mean that there wasn’t a gym she used frequently. Vara picked up many hobbies over the years, constantly needing something that interested her in order to not go insane. From there she began to learn kickboxing, acrobatics, gymnastics, yoga and a list of other fighting techniques. 

Entering the bakery, Vara immediately regretted not wearing more clothes. She could feel the different magics within the shop, it made her uneasy. Doing her best to avoid skin to skin contact with anyone, Vara made her way to the counter to order her breakfast. 

She was greeted by a short, chubby woman with lavender and hazel curly hair that appeared to barely stay in the two massive buns on either side of her head. She was covered in dark freckles that fit seamlessly with her champagne brown eyes, and dark bronze skin. She looks absolutely adorable with her apron covered in flour and just a bit on her face.

“Welcome to Milis Bakery! My name is Dolce, how may I be of service to you?”

“Hi, um….I’m new in town so I’m not familiar with anything here, what do you recommend?”

“Oh, well we’re most famous for our kolaches. We have sausage and cheese, ham and cheese, bacon and sausage, and cream filled. May I suggest a danish to go along with any of them?”

“Uh, um, sure. I’ll take two sausage and cheese kolaches, a cream cheese danish and a dark mocha coffee with a hint of hazelnut.” Dolce’s eye widened before she smiled brightly at Vara. “Well, I’ll need your name and your order will be out shortly.” 

“Vara, my name is Vara.”

Once again, Dolce smiled at her, “Vara, what a beautiful name,” She paused as if she forgot where she was, “Well, I hope you’ll stick around, it was nice meeting you.”

Not knowing how to respond, Vara settled for a light smile before thanking the cheery cashier and when to find a spot in a corner near the windows. Milis Bakery happened to be close to the inn she was staying in and Phantom Lord. She wanted to learn as much as she could about the guild before she even stepped foot into the guild. 

Settling into her spot with her food and drink, Vara went about watching the guild from within the shop, making note of the people to enter and exit Phantom Lord. Once an hour had come and gone, Vara deemed it a good time to leave the bakery and go to the guild. 

~

The doors of the guild hall were pushed open, and a rather rough looking woman was standing in the doorway. She wore a pair of well-worn black boots, a pair of dark navy jeans, a red crop top with an image of a black heart on either sleeve and carried a bag over one of her shoulders. 

She entered the guild hall with an air of confidence, her strides long and powerful as if she’d been a part of the guild for years. The rhythmic thudding of her boots across the floor slowly gained the attention of everyone in the guild hall. 

Walking up to the bar, Vara ignored all the eyes on her. She had one goal in mind at the moment, “I’m looking for your guild master. I’m interested in joining Phantom Lord.”


	2. This is where I began

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had to break this chapter down some because if I kept going, I wouldn't stop till I had to
> 
> Vara is a true WIP because I can't seem to stick to a personality. I'm trying to keep some semblance of a consistent personality, but every time I do, I gotta have her be more. Vara's gonna be my wild child just you wait
> 
> I'm basically only writing this because I already am 'daydreaming' future Vara and her place within the story

Jose watched from the second floor as the girl walked into his guild without fear like she had never heard anything about Phantom Lord and its members.  _ Just who is this girl? _ He wanted to know more about her, who she was, where she came from and more importantly, how he could use her to his advantage. 

A wicked grin spread across Jose’s face, yes he could use someone like her. From what he could tell, she knew nothing about Phantom Lord other than that it was a magic guild. She was a blank slate, a perfect puppet for him to pull the strings of. But he knew there was something else to her, something that told him he’d need to be careful.

Jose was drawn back to the first floor when the sound of a body hitting wood resonated throughout the silent room. The girl's voice was like thunder in the quiet room. “When I say don’t touch me,” Another slam against, what Jose could only guess was, the bar. “I mean do  _ not _ touch me. Understood? Good.” 

_ Yes, she’ll do just perfectly _ . Jose decided that now was a good a time as ever to make himself known. “Now now, there’s no need for violence.” Jose cast a glance towards the man Vara had pinned to the bar. “Well, at least not anymore that is. If you’d so kind as to release the guild member you have pinned?”

Vara eyed the man who had just made himself known, there was something about him that he didn’t fully trust. “I would, but he attempted to touch me when I explicitly said that I do not want to be touch. So until he apologizes and says he understand not to touch me, I will  _ not, _ ” She emphasized the word ‘not’ by pressing the man further against the bar. “be letting him go.” She didn’t like it when people tried to tell her what to do, especially men who think they have power over her. 

“I-I’m sorry! P-please let me go, I-I’ll never touch you again. I promise. P-please just let go!” Vara looked at the now whimpering man before giving a satisfied hum and release the man. “Now,” She said, smoothing her outfit out. “Can someone  _ please _ tell me where the master of this guild is before I leave to find another guild to join?” Vara looked around the room at everyone, no one seemed to want to say much of anything to her after her display. 

Oh no, she could not leave, Jose already had an idea of how she’d be able to help him. “There’s no need for that child, I’m right here. Master Jose at your service my dear.” Vara raised an eyebrow at the man, he didn’t look like a guild master but then again, it was her first time meeting one. 

“Well if that’s the case, then I’d like to speak to you! I’m interested in joining your guild if you don’t mind.” Vara did a complete 180 and was smiling at Master Jose as if she hadn’t just been threatening a man with extreme violence. 

Jose looked at her, trying to see something that’d tell him something about her, but she just stared back at him with the same look in he eyes. One minute she was loud, violent and commanding, the next she was calm, smiling and innocent. 

“Why of course child, here at Phantom Lord we welcome anybody who wants to join us. Though we do have certain standards that you simply must uphold should you choose to join.”

“Of course, organizations such as guilds are bound to have their own standards, and every guild has their own set of standards that the members need to respect and uphold. How do I join?”

To say that Jose was shocked would be a bot of an understatement, he had expected her to question what the standards of his guild were. Instead, she agreed with him and only asked how she could join. This girl was certainly something else, and he wanted to know everything that made her tick. 

“I-uh well, of course, I’m glad that you understand. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to continue this conversation in my office and get you your guild mark.”

Vara smiled at the man, something about him didn’t sit right with her, but she really wanted to join a magic guild. She didn’t want to waste more money than she needed to right now, so, Vara ignored the feeling of unease he gave her. 

Vara exited Master Jose office an hour later with her own guild mark, it was placed just below her right collarbone in a light gray. The Master had asked her about her magic and where she came from, she had panicked a bit because it wasn’t like she could just tell him that she came from the second most influential family in Fiore. 

* * *

_ “Now, if you don’t mind me asking, what kind of magic do you use? I need to know in order to fill out your application and file properly. I keep track of all the members of my guild just in case one is needed on specific missions or as a backup for other members.” _

_ “I would like to keep that information to myself for the time being. Of course in due time I’ll tell you but I’d rather stay solo than risk hurting anyone. I will say this now, I have morals that I stick by, one of them being to never let my magic be used by others for their own gain. It can be volatile if used in any malicious way. I’ve never gotten the chance to use my magic much, so I don’t know how to control it that much. You do understand, right?” _

_ “Of course child, just know that I’ll ask you again in the future when you have better control over it. I do have another question. Where are you from? I’ve haven’t seen you around these parts and you seem to have an understanding of how different organizations work depending on who leads them. Does your family have a political background?” _

_ “In a sense, but I wanted nothing to do with that aspect of my life. My father passed away some years ago and it’s been just me and my mother since. My mother used to be part of the Magic Counsel and wanted me to follow in her footsteps, obviously, I have no interest in doing so.” _

_ “I am sorry for your loss, and for your mothers, you appear to be an exceptional young woman. And there, you are officially a member of Phantom Lord, all that’s left is your guild mark” _

* * *

Vara had purposefully left out where she was from just in case her mother sends a request for someone to find her. Gloria Devine wasn’t above having others do everything for her, that’s basically how her family even came to be. The Devine family are one of the most powerful and influential women that have overtaken many families to further strengthen their own family. Any man who married a Devine woman took her last name, therefore many families have fallen victim to hers that way. 

Her mother was the same way, she had wanted Vara to be the same way too. Pick a man who has a powerful enough family, rope him in, and then take everything he owned to further her family name. She wanted her to trick men into the web her mother wove, have them fall into their trap, that’s why she gave Vara her name. Varalica, it meant trickster, someone not meant to be trusted. 

_ No. That’s not who I am. _ Vara would  _ never _ become that kind of person, she would not give her mother the satisfaction. She was determined to never be the woman her mother wanted her to be. 

Lost in her own thoughts, Vara failed to notice a young boy in front of her and walked straight into him. During her conversation with Master Jose Vara had taken off her gloves and had yet to put them back on, so when she collided the boy she could feel his magic rush through her. It was cold, dark, untrained, something that could be very dangerous if he didn’t get control over it soon.

“I-I’m so sorry ma’am. P-please don’t hurt me.”

The boy didn’t look older than 10. He was way too skinny for someone his size, probably from malnutrition, his hair was well past his shoulders and looked like it hadn’t been washed in weeks. He was wearing clothes that hung off of his body, they looked worn out and ready to fall apart at the seams. Vara’s heart ached for him. Something within her screamed for her to take in this child, to protect him, to train him to where he’d one day be able to win countless battles on his own.

“Hey now, no reason to apologize. I’m not gonna hurt you. My name’s Vara. What’s yours?”

The boy looked weary as if he was unsure whether or not she was serious. It didn’t surprise her one bit, especially after the way she introduced herself to the guild. Eventually, he gave in and looked at her.

“My name is Ryos. It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“Hey, there’s no need to call me ma’am, it makes me feel old. Like my mother. Just call me Vara, yeah?”

“O-okay. I’m still sorry for bumping into you ma-Vara.”

By now all eyes were on them, everyone was silent waiting to see what would happen, the only thing you could hear was what sounded like teeth grinding on metal.

“It’s my fault anyway, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. No hard feelings yeah? Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m looking for a job that pays enough for me to get a place to stay and some leftover for myself.” 

Vara smiled one last time at Ryos before turning to glare at the rest of the guild. “What’re you lookin’ at?” As if a spell had been lifted, everyone quickly went back to whatever they were doing before they started to stare. 

* * *

The job Vara had picked seemed simple enough, it would last a week and all she had to do was guard some cargo as it traveled halfway across Fiore.  _ And _ the best part was she didn’t have to pay for her own ticket or food, the only thing she had to do was make sure that whatever she was guarding didn’t get stolen or damaged. 

Since Vara would have an entire train car to herself for a week, she thought it would be best if she figured out what kind of magic Ryos held while also continuing to try and gain control of her own magic. But that was easier said than done, whatever magic Ryos held fought with the dark magic in her. The clash of the two was volatile, it disrupted her light magic in a way that unsettled her to the core. 

Taking a deep breath, Vara plunged her subconscious into the fight between the two magics, hoping she’d be able to tame them both before something bad happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I was trying to pick a name for Vara's mom, I learned that Gloria means bitch in Latin, so that's fun
> 
> And if you know, you know. I couldn't help it, I'm a sucker for what I have their relationship planned out to be
> 
> Next chapter is gonna be a bit iffy I feel like because honestly, the endgame is for Vara to be op


	3. Dark and Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a name for the type of magic Vara is currently using (there will be another kind in the future) and I'm calling it Magic Copy. It's like Archive but it requires the mage to physically touch a person in order to copy their magic, and it will copy the exact kind of magic of whomever the mage touches and amplifies it to match the power level of the mage. And the magic gets stored away in an archive until Vara calls upon it. The more Vara knows about a type of magic, the easier it is for her to call upon it and use it. Dragon Slayer magic is going to work a bit differently with Vara because she wasn't raised by dragons, therefore, she won't have motion sickness and will only really need to consume elements if she's been using, or has recently used, the Dragon Slayer magic of the element. If you can't tell, I've put a lot of thought into her magic abilities and what she can do

‘Where am I?’

_ Shouldn’t you know? After all, you did choose to come here, to try and resolve the fight. _

‘The fight? What fight?’

_ Between your magic and the boys. Both of them are dangerous, especially if they continue unchecked. _

Right, she came here, wherever  _ here _ was, to get her dark magic and whatever magic Ryos held to stop fighting. 

_ Yes. You need to stop it soon before your I get corrupted because once that happens, there is  _ **_no_ ** _ going back.  _

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Vara pushed any other questions out of mind and focused on finding exactly where the conflict was. ‘There you are.’ I was hard not to notice the swirling mass of blackness. At first glance, it looked like singular magic, but if you continued to watch, there were subtle differences. 

One seemed to have more sentience than the other like it was a living thing at one point. Verus the other that moved violently like it was trying to destroy a virus. It was hard to tell which one belonged to her, both of them drew her in like a moth to a flame. Vara didn’t know what to do, she was afraid that if she got too close she’d get hurt.

_ You need to get between them. They won’t hurt you, they only aim to destroy the other. _

They won’t hurt her? They won’t hurt her. Looking at the two magics, Vara compared them to wolves fighting for the role of alpha, but if Vara established herself as the one in control they’d back down. Knowing what to do, Vara made herself known.

‘ **Enough.** There is no reason to fight over control you will never have.’ She reached her arms out in front of her and pulled her hands away from each other, essentially forcing the magics away from each other. One moved to her, the one that moved violently, and gently wrapped itself around her like it was claiming her as its own. Vara could only guess that it was her magic by how familiar it felt. Casting one last look at her magic, Vara shifted her attention to the other magic.

‘What are you?’

**Something that doesn’t belong to you.**

‘It’s not like I meant for you to be here. You’re stuck here, but it’s not like Ryos no longer has you.’

**Why should I believe you? I can feel your magic, they’re both ancient and meant to be lost to this world.**

‘You don’t have to believe me, I just want you to understand that you are basically a copy of Ryos’ magic. If you let me understand what you are, you will understand me more.’ At the notion of learning more about her, sentience in Ryos’ magic paused before responding.

**I don’t feel any ill-willed motives coming from you, just the dangers of your magic’s potential. Very well, I am, in a sense, a dragon. I will not fight you or your magic. Ryos is a Dragon Slayer who I raised. When I transferred some of my magic to him, it also transferred a part of my mind which is why you’re even able to converse with me. My name is Skiadrum, but that matters not because I am no longer in your world. I will lend you my knowledge so you can use Dragon Slayer magic and teach the boy for me. It is time you go child. I wish you luck.**

* * *

Being thrown from her own mind, Vara was brought back to the real world, where she really needed to throw up. It seems going into her own mind made her nauseous.

Looking out the window, it was obvious that Vara had spent more than a few hours within her own head. The world was louder, brighter, and there were so many smells. God, what smelled so bad? There was a chuckle at the back of her mind.  **_This is what it’s like to be a Dragon Slayer. You’re lucky you don’t have motion sickness like the boy._ **

_ Motion sickness? No thank you. _ Vara was grateful that she wasn’t a natural raised Dragon Slayer or she wouldn’t be able to complete this mission. Her train of thought was interrupted by the growling of her stomach. She hadn’t eaten anything since the night before and it seems that her stomach was now demanding her to eat something.

The train she was on was more on the fancy side, meant for those with a higher social class than most. It wasn’t the first time she had ridden on a train like this, but it was the first time she could order her own food without judgemental looks from her mother. For once she wasn’t restricted by the diets her mother made her be on. The very thought of being able to eat whatever she wanted felt so freeing to Vara like it was just now setting in that she was free from her mother.

Making her way to the dining car, Vara took note of all the people staring at her as she passed through the different cars. It wasn’t like she looked like she belonged there, not anymore at least. Everyone was judging her because they thought she was lower class, and if that didn’t make her smile, she didn’t know what would. 

Finally making it to where all the food was, Vara was greeted with so many wonderful smells, each so much more intense now with the added Dragon Slayer magic in her. Her mouth watered at the idea of eating all kinds of food. Showing her guild mark to the waiter, Vara basically ordered one of everything to satisfy the intense hungry in her stomach.

**_You’ll be eating a lot more food now, even after you pick up other magic. And you’ll need to consume shadows on a regular basis to stay healthy._ ** The dragon, whose name she can’t remember, made itself known again. Vara had figured that her appetite would increase because of the magic, but to learn she would also need to  _ eat _ shadows regularly was a surprise. Deciding that would be something to worry about tomorrow, Vara set her sights on the pile of food that was coming her way. 

* * *

Returning to the train car Vara was guarding was similar to leaving it, upper-class snobs looking down at her. Had her mother been with her, everyone would look at her with a mix of fear and respect, she would give anyone that even  _ thought _ to look down on them a piece of her mind. But now that she was Vara and not Varalica Devine, she smiled at the looked, giving anyone that would meet her eyes a small nod.

Even though it had barely been a full day since leaving home, Vara wondered how her mother had reacted to her running away. Was she looking for her? Did she miss her? No, of course, she didn’t actually miss her, she would miss ordering her around, showing her off at parties to potential ‘suitors’. Though Vara knew if her mother ever found her she would be beyond furious because she would have made their family look like an embarrassment.

There were too many thoughts and emotions swirling in her head for Vara to rest just yet. She did consider going back into her mind to talk to the dragon but ultimately decided against it, she didn’t want to throw up a second time. 

The sun was starting to set by the time Vara had gotten back to the car, a perfect time to finally take a look at what she bought from the shop back in Oak Town. She had picked out a sturdy bow, an enchanted quiver of arrows and a silver celestial spirit key. The key is what caught her attention, it was designed to look like a bird with the end of the key being the head. 

Vara’s mother was a Celestial Spirit mage with a few silver keys such as a Canis Minor she called Halfwit, the key of Ursa Minor called Urs and the key of Grus the Crane called Light Wing. She had made Vara memorize hundreds for constellations and their gate keys, so she knew this was the key of Corvus the Raven. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I so wanted to give Vara some zodiac gate keys but decided not to because I'm going to make another type of keys for Vara to have, and they are going to be based on actual constellations I feel like would be strong spirits. 
> 
> This chapter is a bit shorter than the others because I felt like where I stopped at was good. Usually, I aim to make each chapter around 1.8k words, but this one is around 1.3k words. I'm also getting ready for school because it starts soon for me, so there are probably going to be long gaps between chapters. This story was kinda an end of summer project for me.


	4. Honestly this feels like a filler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vara makes a new friend, we learn a bit about the kind of keys I have in store for the future and a terribly written fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been two weeks but I just started school not too long ago, and my anxiety has been so bad it's affecting my daily life at home. I'm also doing rotc this year which will probably take up a good amount of my time, plus I'm having gay panic.

Corvus, while still a sliver key, was an extremely useful spirit. They’re said to have two forms, a smaller for used for stealth and speed and a lager one used as either transportation or in battle. Vara recalled a story of Corvus and Hydra, a legend really. The two could be used together to create a spell called ‘Apollos Light’, but Hydra wasn’t a key, or at least not one that had been found within the last few centuries so it was considered ‘lost’. 

Figuring now was as good a time as any, Vara stood up and held the key out in front of her. Taking a deep breath, Vara thought back to her mother’s magic, what it looked like to open a gate, the proper words to use to open a gate, she felt a shift within her. Her magic was flowing through her to her arm, to the key, she held in her hand. Vara felt the key begin to vibrate, it felt warmer than it was seconds ago. Releasing the breath she held, Vara summoned forth the spirit.

“Open, Gate of the Raven, Corvus!”

In a flash of blinding light, the gate was opened and a pitch-black raven was standing in front of Vara. It was just slightly bigger than an average raven, but what set it apart from any other raven was its yellow eyes. Those eyes stared at her like they were looking into her soul like they could see the dangerous magic within her. 

_ “Greetings Master, I am Corvus.” _ Even though they didn’t open their beak once, Vara could still hear them speak to her.  _ “I am known as the Raven. I am available whenever you may need me.” _

Vara blanched at the idea of being called ‘Master’. Her mother’s spirits always called her ‘Master’ or ‘Mistress’ and it always made her uncomfortable. “I-um, look. I don’t want to be called ‘Master’ or ‘Mistress’ or anything like that honestly, it reminds me of my mother and how she treats her spirits.”

Vara could feel his eyes looking at her as if he was looking  _ through _ her, at who she was as a person. Slowly, Corvus nodded his head at her, like he was pleased with her response. _ “Very well, I won’t call you either of those names. What would you like me to call you?” _

Smiling at the bird spirit, Vara answered his question. “Vara. I would like it if you called me Vara. And if you don’t mind me ask-” Vara was cut off by someone banging on the door.

“Open up! We know someone is in there, open the door and we won’t hurt you.” It seemed like someone was here for the cargo Vara was meant to guard. Of course, her first job wouldn’t be easy, why wasn’t she surprised? Stealing a glance at the door then Corvus, Vara nodded her head at the bird, silently telling him to wait.

Taking light steps towards the door, Vara pressed herself up against the wall next to it. She could feel the magic of whoever was on the other side of the door, and she could tell that it was definitely more than one person.

“Hey! Didn’t you hear me!? Open this door or we  _ will _ break it down and kick your ass! That’s it.” The door came flying off its hinges and three men entered the car. They failed to notice Vara, so when she quickly brushed her hand across all three of them, she now had access to their magic. A feeling of magic and power flowed through her, but Vara didn’t have time to process the magic she picked up because next thing she knew, she was being picked up by her neck and was tossed into the car. 

“Well, would ya look at this. It’s a girl, all by her lonesome. Are you the one meant to be guarding this car? What a joke.”

“Boss, she’s a Phantom. We should just go now, while we still can.”

The man, ‘Boss’ turned to look at the guy that had just spoken. “So what if she’s a Phantom? She couldn’t even hurt us if she wanted too, just look at her. I say we keep her and whatever she’s supposed to be guarding.”

Vara growled at the notion of being kept as if she was a pet, a prize to be won. As if she’d let anyone treat her the same way her mother did. Looking around the car, Vara spotted Corvus next to her bag where the bow and quiver she’d bought the day were. Catching Corvus’ eye, Vara subtly nodded at him before kicking her leg out and managed to knock the leader off his feet. 

The moment he hit the floor, Vara was up and moving. Dodging a punch aimed for her face, Vara spun and slammed her foot into the stomach of the second guy. Before the third one had even processed what was happening, Vara was on him aiming to catch him unaware. But before she could get anywhere near him, she was being wrapped in what looked like webs. Her hands bound to her sides and her legs bound together, Vara tried to break free of her binds. 

“Struggle all you want girl, there’s no way you can get out of my threads. A sad excuse of a Phantom if you ask me, I don’t think she even has any magic.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Silently praying that Corvus’ gate would still be open, Vara closed her eyes and searched for the obnoxious dragon that had taken up residence in her mind. Once again, Vara felt a shift within her and she melted into the shadows behind her. 

“What the fu- Where’d she go!? Find her!”

Vara reappeared behind ‘Boss’ and landed a solid kick to his back, knocking him to the floor again. Fading back to the shadows, Vara dodged another punch meant for her head. Deciding to play around a bit, Vara focused on the shadows in the room and made them grow until it was pitch-black. 

“Come on boys, do as your boss says, ‘find me’. That is if you can.”

It was amusing to Vara to watch them search for her in the dark. There was a burst of rumbling laughter in her mind.  **_You seem to be having fun. And your control is impressive. The boy would’ve been consumed by the shadows already if he tried to do this._ ** It was no surprise to Vara that she had good control over the shadows, she did have another magic that could consume her if she didn’t know how to gain and keep control.

Letting out a sigh, Vara figured that she had had enough fun playing with the three guys and pulled the shadows back. They stood in a group, huddled close together, they looked terrified. With a roll of her eyes, called forth the magic she’d picked up from the leader. “Threads: Bind.”

Once Vara double-checked that they secure and weren’t going anywhere, she looked around for Corvus to find him standing in the same place she left him. “You three caused me a lot of trouble today. This is my first mission you know.  _ And _ I was in the middle of making a contract with Corvus over there. You’re lucky I don’t drop y’all’s sorry asses off the train right now, I’ve used up most of my magic power to even be bothered.”

Sitting down against the wall of the train car, Vara released a shaky breath. All she wanted to do was sleep, but before she could do that, she needed to notify the guards on the train.  _ “You are tired. I’ll take my leave for now so that I am not further draining your magic power.” _ In a flash of light, Corvus was gone.

On shaky legs, Vara exited her train car in search of the guards. It was easy to find them, all she had to do was look in the dining car to find all of them. She quickly told them of the three men and their fight. They jumped to their feet once she mentioned that someone had tried to steal from the train.

Not even bothering to change her clothes, Vara all but collapsed onto a makeshift bed in the corner of the train car. The day had been a lot more tiring than she expected and she simply drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still going to continue with this story but the gaps between each chapter are going to vary. I'm really sorry about it but I've got so much to do that when I do have free time I want to just relax.


	5. I Don't Have a Title For This Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for taking way longer than I wanted to, to post this chapter. But yay! another chapter finally! I don't have a base for this story written, so I kinda make it up as I go, but I wanted to give the world of Fairy Tail more life so that's why I have Dolce. Her POV is meant to be drastically different compared to Varas POV. It holds more of an artistic view of the world around, hopefully, you'll notice the difference. 
> 
> So, I don't know when I'll get the next chapter started because 50/50 if I'm going to be apart of my JROTC air rifle team if that's even a thing. But THIS chapter is almost 2k words so enjoy.

The rest of the week was mostly uneventful, especially once security was doubled. That alone provided Vara with more than enough time to learn more about each of the magics she had picked up, add in the time she spent in her own head talking with Skiadrum about Dragon Slayer magic, a week wasn't that long of a mission. 

The reward was a fairly large one in Vara's opinion, 200,000 jewels was a lot for sitting in a train car for a week. The man who sent out the request was from a well off family who was having their heirlooms moved to a new house so to him the reward was small, but he was also paying for Vara to return to Oak Town.

* * *

It was early in the morning when she finally stepped onto the platform in Oak Town and she was itching to go on a run. Spending roughly a week on a train with barely any room to exercise was just enough time to make Vara go stir crazy. But without a place to go to unpack all her stuff, she settled on visiting the bakery she found on her first day in town. 

_ What was it called again? Miles Bakery? Mike’s Bakery? Milis Bakery! That’s right the Milis Bakery. _ She remembered the cute barista that greeted her when she first walked in. While she wouldn’t be the first one to compliment Vara on her name, she was the first person to compliment her on the shortened version of it. 

The bakery itself was warm and welcoming and smelled like fresh-baked bread with cinnamon. It reminded Vara of the afternoons when she would sneak off to the kitchens to get away from her mother. The cooks always welcomed her with open arms and teach her how to cook and bake. Out of everyone in the house, Vara missed them the most because without them she’d never been able to make it on her own.

* * *

An hour before sunrise the Milis Bakery opened its doors, that’s just how Dolce liked to run things. She was a morning person, always up before the sun, and that meant opening the doors an hour before sunrise. It was easy to open the bakery so early since she lived right above it in her apartment on her own. 

The past week felt long to her like each day was dragging on in hopes of something. What it was, she didn’t know. Dolce only knew that the days were looking for something, maybe someone, to enter it. She felt the pull of the days deep in her bones, tugging and urging her to leave the bakery in search of something. 

Her mind drifted to one person, to hair of iced steel, to dark eyes that bore into a persons’ soul yet held so much life in them. She wasn’t afraid to admit that she had a crush. Something about that girl had made Dolce’s entire schedule a mess, whether it be how her eyes scanned the room when she entered, or how she nervously asked what she suggested to get, or maybe it was the fact that she liked the same kind of coffee as Dolce.

Whatever it was, it had thrown Dolce’s entire schedule into disarray. And when she had stayed behind the counter for an hour, just staring out the window, Dolce had to excuse herself from the counter, no one was going to come in just yet anyway. Baking always kept her hands and mind occupied when she needed a distraction, and she definitely needed one right now. 

* * *

The light chime of the door opening had Dolce making her way back to the counter. There stood the girl whose been plaguing her thoughts for over a week, she looked tired and was carrying what looked like to be a bag full of clothes. Her eyes took in her surrounds before landing on Dolce, eyes that seemed to stare right through her and right into her very soul like she knew what kind of person she was just by looking at her, and they softened when they landed on her. 

“Hi and welcome to Milis Bakery, my name is Dolce and you are the very first customer of the day! Which means you get whatever you order fresh.” Her eyes went wide at what she had just said. “N-not to say that what we make here  _ isn’t _ fresh, j-just that you would get freshly  _ baked _ food. Anyways! What would you like today?”

Oh, gods, her heart was beating so fast. It didn’t help that the girl's eyes were staring right at her, as if she was trying to figure out a puzzle of some sort. Dolce briefly saw a flicker of what seemed to be sadness in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared as soon as if came.

“Ah, um, could I get a mocha coffee with hazelnut, a cream cheese danish, two sausage and cheese kolaches, and a blueberry muffin? I’m sorry it’s been a long week for me and I really could use something that reminds me of the kitchen at home.”

A smile filled Dolce’s face once again, “Of course. Give me a few and I’ll bring your order to you, feel free to sit anywhere you’d like.”

Dolce watched as Vara sat in the same spot she did a week ago. The morning light laid beautifully against her pale skin, making it look as if she was made of fire. The shades of orange and red contrasted with her silvery-blue hair, she looked like she was a painting instead of a person. She wondered if the girl stayed there long enough, she would become a statue, frozen in time. 

Light laughter pulled Dolce back to reality. Had she really zoned out again? “While I appreciate the compliment, I’d rather not become a statue. And yes, you did say that out loud.” The girl-Vara was now looking at her with an amused look on her face, which in turn made Dolce’s face turn a deep shade of red. 

“Ah, I-uh-I’m sorry. I was just admiring the way the sunlight looked on your skin-that sounds creepy sorry. Ma used to say how I had an artist's perspective and saw the world in a way few did. My friends swear that I can find beauty and art in just about everything-I’m rambling now I’m sorry.”

Again the sound of laughter filled the bakery, only this time it was less restrained and much louder. Her eyes shifted to an iridescent black as she continued to laugh, her eyes were like gemstones found only in the deepest of caves. 

“Oh, sweetheart there’s no need to apologize. Honestly, you’re like a breath of fresh air to me, this place itself feels more like home to me than my actual house.” Dolce’s face dropped at that, had she really never felt at home in her own house?

Deciding that she had no right to pry into Vara’s life, I mean this was the first time they were having an actual conversation and the second time they’ve met, Dolce excused herself and made her way into the kitchen where she could busy herself with Vara’s order. And if she paid extra attention to the food then she’d claim that she just wanted to make sure the first batch was good enough to set out for the morning rush.

* * *

To say her morning was boring would be a lie, Vara spent the first few hours at the Milis Bakery where she learned that the owner-Dolce was looking for a roommate to help with rent. Or so that’s what she said, but Vara knew the look of loneliness that Dolce had all too well, so Vara offered to become her roommate as long as she was okay with her going off on long missions. Vara promised that her part of the rent was either paid before or after each mission should they last longer than two weeks. 

No, her morning was anything but boring, but when she finally made her way back to Phantom to give her mission report to Jose, Vara knew better than to mention the charming bakery to anyone. Except maybe Ryos, who she was very worried about since their initial encounter. Why did a child have such dark magic, and how had he not been consumed by it?

Jose was in his office when she walked through the doors of the guild, so she first went to the bar to see if Ryos was around. She had learned a lot about Shadow Dragon Slayer magic over the past week, and all of it made her just want to take the boy in and claim him as hers.  _ What would Dolce think though? I doubt that she’d be okay with me bringing a young boy to live with us. _ It had only been a few hours since Vara officially met Dolce, and she was very aware of the fact that they were practically strangers.

“Ah Vara, I was informed that you had returned today. I would have asked for your report sooner, but I was caught up in a meeting with another guild member.” He gestured to the man next to him. The magic power coming off of him was similar to Ryos’ but it was controlled, but his appearance was a different story, he practically screamed chaos and destruction to her. 

“Vara I would like you to meet Black Steel Gajeel, he’s the strongest member of Phantom along with being an Iron Dragon Slayer. I was hoping to send you two on a mission together sometime soon,” Jose held his hand up as I was about to interrupt him. “I know you said you wanted to be solo until you achieve better control of your magic, but I would prefer if you learned to work with at least one other person in the guild. And who better than the strongest person in the guild? Alright now that’s settled, I’ll take your report and then both of you are free for the afternoon so get to know more about each other. Bye~”

Vara only glared at Jose has he collected her mission report and walked back up to his office. She knew what he was doing, he wanted her to work with Gajeel so he could report whatever he learned back to Jose. She cast another look at Gajeel, he was taller than her by a few inches, his hair was a black unruly mess, and his clothes looked like they were thrown into a shredder, but his piercings are what stood the most to her. They looked as if they had just grown from the skin, but a closer inspection said otherwise.

“Look kid,”

“I’m either the same age as you or possibly older so don’t call me ‘kid’.”

He sent a glare her way, obviously hating this idea as much as she was.

“Look, newbie, I ain’t tryin’ to befriend ya or anythin’ like that. This was the master's idea and I don’t even know why he’d pair me with you of all people. Ya look like you can barely carry a sack of flour, let alone keep up with me on a mission. But it’s master's orders so I guess we outta just get this done and over with.”

Vara could already tell working with Gajeel was going to put her patience to the test. He was brash and, from what she could tell from this one conversation, didn’t get along well with others. Why Jose chose to pair them together, Vara will never understand. But she was determined to knock Gajeel down a peg or ten and show him what she was truly made of.

**Author's Note:**

> It's not much right now but hopefully, I'll be able to improve as I go. If you didn't notice, there are some different languages mixed into the story.
> 
> Milis- Sweet in Irish (that's what my translator calls it)  
> Dolce- also Sweet but in Italian  
> Varalica- Trickster in Croatian (I like the language even if I'm only using a translator for words that I like)  
> Devine is pronounced like divine


End file.
